Retort



NOV. 5, 1929. I, NEWBERY 1,734,774

I RETORT I Original Filed June 12. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l I. B. NEWBERY Nov. 5, I929.

RETORT 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed June 12 raaaaa Now. s, was

tre A, 1

tree stares IVOR B. NEWBERY, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK, Assreuoia, BY manor AND MESNE As- SIGNMENTS, TO LIGNITE PRODUCTS CORPORATION OF YORK, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE RETOBT Application filed June 12, 1922, Serial No. 567,612. Renewed October 22, 1925.

This invention relates to a retort which is more particularly intended for treating shale and the like such as coal and lignite in order to extract the hydrocarbon oils such as gasoline therefrom in the form of vapors which are subsequently condensed into liquid gasoline suitable for commercial use.

One of the objects of this invention is the production of a retort of this character which will conserve the heat and secure the maxiinum' efliciency of the fuel which is consumed.

, out of contact from the outermost wall of the reference indicate corresponding parts inthe several figures.

The outerv enclosing casing of the retort preferably comprises a horizontal bottom 10 resting on a base or foundation 11 and pro- "vided on its upper side with an annular trough 12 adapted to contain a body of sealing water, an upright cylindrical side wall 13 seated at its lower end in said trough and immersed in the water therein so as to form an air tight joint between the same due to the sealing effect of the water in the trough,

and a top or dome 14 secured to the upper end of the outer wall, this bottom, side wall and top being constructed of iron or any other suitable material.

Arranged centrally within the casing is an upright heating chamber which is preferablv made of cast iron in the form of a plurality of hollow disk-shaped sections arranged in a vertical tier or row and each of which has a flat upper plate 15, a downwardly tapering AMERICA, or cAs'rILE, NEW

lower plate 16, and a cylindrical web 17 arranged between the marginal parts of the Corresponding upper and lower plates of each shelf. These heating chamber sections may be constructed in any suitable manner but in the preferred construction shown in the drawings, the lower plate of each section, except the lowermost, is cast integrally of iron or other suit-able metal with the annular web of this section and with the top plate of the next lower heating section and at the inner-edges of these integral'bottom and top plates of two superposed heating sections the same are constructed to form a central passage 18 which places in communication the interior-of the heating sections of which theseplates form parts. The lower plate of each heating section, except the uppermost and lowermost, rests on the upper edge of the web of the next lower heating section and a ring 19 surrounding said web. The top plate 15 of the uppermost heating section .is not connected with a lower heater plate but rests on the web and ring ofthe respective heating section and is provided centrally with a smoke outlet 2:2 of, furnace 23 which is connected with a smoke pipe or flue 20 leading laterally through the adjacent part of the casing side wall to a chimney or elsewhere. The lower conical plate 16 of the lowermost -heating section is not connected with an upper heater plate but rest-sat its-lower inner edge on the bottom 10 of the enclosing chamber and is provided centrally with a heat inlet 21 which communicates with the outlet- 22 at the top of a furnace or fire pot 23. This furnace may be of any suitable construction for burning fuel to supply fire heat to the interior of the heating chamber sections and the shale to be treated.

The upper surface of the top plate of each heating section forms a shelf for supporting thereon the shale which is to be treated, each ofthese shelves being provided at its margin with an annular rim or flange 24 which confines the shale on the surface of the respective "shelf. The outer edge of each ring 19 is also provided with an annular upwardly projecting flange which strengthens this ring and also acts as a guard to prevent any particles of shale which may spill over the inner flange 24 from droppingto the bottom of the enclosing casing without being treated,

Centrally in the dome of the enclosing casj ing the same is provided withian outlet 27 through which pass the vapors or gases given off from the shale during the treatment of the same, said gases being conducted from this outlet to the condenser by a delivery pipe or conduit 26.

Extending vertically through each of the heating sections from the upper side or shelf the spent shale is delivered to meanswhich carry the same away from the retort. The

, transfer passages are so arranged that the passage of each heating section is out of line with and preferably adjacent to the rear side J of the transfer passage in the heating section immediately above the same, so that when the material is discharged from the shelf of one heating section to the shelf of the next lower heating section, the material will not fall through the latter immediately but must be carried circumferentially around the respective section nearly a completecircle before it can escape therefrom. The material to be treated is preferably supplied from the exterior of the casing to the shelf of the uppermost heating section by means which will permit of a continuous feed of material while preventing the escape of gases. For this purpose, ,a feed mechanism is provided which comprises a horizontal conveyer cylinder 61 arranged on top of the casing and provided at one end of its top with a supply hopper 29 while the opposite end of its bottom is provided with a delivery chute 30 leading through the top of the casing to the shelf of the uppermost heating section in front of its transfer passage, and a feed screw 31 rotating in the conveyer cylinder and connected with a shaft 32 extending to the exterior of theconveyer cylinder.

The spent shale is similarly removed continuously from the transfer passage of the lowermost heating section without permitting the escape of any gases to the exterior, this being accomplished by means which comprise a delivery conveyer cylinder 33 arranged horizontally below the bottom of the enclosing chamber and having an inlet 34 at one end of its top which communicates with the transfer passage of the lowermost heating section and a delivery chute 35 connected with the opposite end of the underside of this cyl-= of the feeding and delivery conveyers, respectively.

Means are provided for carrying the crushed shale circumferentially around on the shelves of the several heating sections, so as to thoroughly expose the same to the action of the heating agent and cause the material to be gradually carried downwardly through the retort by transferring the same successively from one heating section to another, which means also preferably serve as part of the means for producing an upward current of vapor through the retort for creating avacuum therein which carries away the liberated gases, and also form part of the means for preventing the liberated gases from coming in contact with the side wall of the casing and being cooled and condensed by engage ment therewith. Themeans in the preferred form shown in the drawings are constructed as follows: i

41 represents an upright shell of cylindri cal form and constructed of metal arranged in the space between the side wall of the enclosing casing and the peri hery of the severalsections of the heating dhamber and having its upper edge turned mwardly, as shown at 60. The upper end of the shell and heating chamber terminate short of the dome or top of the casing, thereby forming a, gas chamber in the upper part of the casing. This shell is rotatable about its vertical axis concentrically with that of the casing and heating chamber and is supported for this purpose by means of roller bearings 42 mounted in an annular row on the bottom of the casing and supporting said shell at the lower edge of the latter. This shell may be rotated in any suitable manner for instance, as shown in the drawings, by means of a. worm rim 43 arranged on the lower part of the periphery of the shell, a worm 4A1 meshing with said worm rim and arranged in a housing 64 projecting laterally from the casing, and a shaft 45 journaled on said housing and having the worm mounted on its'inner end within the housing while its outer end is arranged outside of said housing. This worm shaft is preferably driven by a, driving belt passing around a driving wheel 46 on the worm shaft, and motion isEtransmitted from the latter to the lower conveyer shaft 37 by a countershaft 47 journaled in suitable bearings, a chain belt 48 passing around sprocket wheels 49, 50, on

the countershaft and worm shaft and achain belt 51 passing around sprocket wheels 52, 53 on the countershaft and conveyer shaft 37, respectively.

- Over the shelf of each heating section is arranged an annular row of scrapers or con-- to move upwardly and outwardly to the gasoutlet, preferably by a plurality of upwardly projecting steam jets 57 arranged at the lower end of the space between the shell and the heating chamber, and a steam jet 58 arranged in the gas outlet pipe and projecting toward the delivery end of the same,- the jets being supplied with steam from any suitable source.

In practice, the gas delivery pipe is connected with a condenser of any suitable character which operates to convert the gases issuing from the outlet of the retort into a liquid.

The operation of this apparatus is as follows: I

Preparatory to treating theshale, the same after being mined is crushed so as to form a mass of small pieces intermingled with shale dust. In this condition, the fresh shale is introduced into the hopper of the feed cylinder and delivered continuously and positively by the conveyer screw therein to the uppermost shelf of the heating chamber. The shale is now carried around on the uppermost shelf by the scrapers or blades above the same until the transfer passage therein has been reached and then the shale falls through this passage onto a solid or imperforate part of the shelf immediately below the same, The shale is now acted on by the blades or scrapers above the second shelf and pushed around on the 'same until it reaches the transfer passage thereon when it drops through the same onto the third shelf. The shale is now again car- 'riedaround on the respective shelf and then drops through the next lower shelf, these operations being repeated continuously on each successive shelf until the shale finally reaches the transfer passage of the lowermost shelf and enters the deliver mechanism which discharges the spent sha e continuously and positively from the retort.

As the shale is moved over each of the shelves, the same is mixed and tumbled continuously by the scrapers or blades so that all reaches the outlet of the retort. The gases thrown off by the shale are carried out through the outlet at the top of the enclosing casing to a condenser which converts the same into liquid oil or gasoline ready to be marketed for commercial purposes. The discharge of the gases from the retort is facilitated by the steam jets which operate as ejectors whereby an upward pushingefi'ectis pro- 1 duced on the gas in the lower part of the retort by the lower jets and a pulling effect on the'gas in the upper part of the retort by the upper'jet. l

The interposition of the shell between the side wall of the casing and the heating chamber forms an air jacket in this space whereby the heat is kept in the center of the' casing and the cold kept outside of the same and the gases thrown off from the shale are prevented from coming in contact with the casing wall-and condensing.

Furthermore the steam jets which forcibly expel the gases fromthe casing also produce a suction efiect on the air in the jacket between the side wall of the casing and the shell,

so that -a partial vacuum is maintained in the same and the entrance of any this jacket is prevented.

Inasmuch as the furnace opens into the casing at the lower end of the same, the heat is greatest at'the lower end of the retort and gradually decreases in an exact degree toward the top. The gases therefore which are liberated from the shale in any part of the retort do not, in their upward movement to the outlet of the casing, pass through-a part p of the retort which is hotter than the particular part of the retort where the gaswas gel:- erated, thereby avoiding burning of the gas as would be liable to occur if any part of the gas passed through a part of the retort which had a higher temperature than the temperature at which the particular gas was liberated from the shale. c

7 As the cubical area of the retort increases from its axistoward its circumference, the gas which is thrown ofi' from the shale is free to expand as it moves outwardly to the circumference of the retort instead of being compressed and enable the same to separate more readily from the shale. In treating shale in this apparatus, the same does not require screening after being crushed inasmuch as the shale dust can be This apparatus permits of operating upon the shale while the same is arranged in comparatively thin layers on the shelves,thereby enabling the maximum amount of gas to be gases into extracted therefrom quickly and with a mini- I mum expenditure of fuel.

Aside from the simple construction of this retort, the same is also superior in that it has but few moving parts and these are not arranged in the center of the retort, thereby permitting of locating the conduit for the heat distributing sections in the center of the retort whereby the heat may be conserved and utilized most elliciently.

I claim as my invention:

1. A retort for distilling oil from shal and the like comprising 'a stationary enclos ing casing having a gas outlet,a hollow stationary heating chamber arranged within the enclosing casing and having a lower inlet for a heating medium and an upper outlet for the spent heating medium -and constructed to form a succession of constrictions "and enlargements which alternate and are arranged in a vertical row, the several cons structed, an imperforate shell arranged'be tween said heating chamber and said casing for preventing the gases evolved from the material in the heating chamber from contacting with the casing and condensing thereon, and movable means for shifting the material to be distilled successively from each shelf to the next lower shelf, whereby the gas in saidmaterial is liberated by the heat-. ing medium within said chamber and left free to escape through the outlet of said gas casing.

2. A retort for distilling oil from shale and the like comprising a stationary enclos ing casing having a gas outlet, a hollow stationary heating chamber arranged within the enclosing casing and having a lower inlet for a heating medium and an upper outlet for the spent heating medium and constructed to form a succession of constrictions and enlargements which alternate and are arranged in a vertical row, the several constrictions communicating with each other internally and the upper outer side of each enlargement forming a horizontal shelf of heat conducting material adapted to support the material to be distilled and each enlarge ment being hollow and conducting heat to the shelf on the upper surface of the same for distilling the material thereon, the interior of said constrictions and enlargements being unobstructed, means for supplying the material to be distilled to the uppermost shelf, and each enlargement being provided with a vertical passage through'which the material drops from its shelf to the next lower shelf, an imperforate shell arranged be tween said heating chamber and said casing for preventing the gases evolved from the material in the heating chamber from contacting with the casing and condensing thereon, and movable means for shifting the material to be distilled successively from each shelf to the next lower shelf, whereby the gas in said material is liberated and left free to escape through said gas outlet. 3. A retort for distilling oil from shale and the like comprising a stationary enclosing casing having a gas outlet, a hollow stationary heating chamber arranged within the enclosing casing and having a lower inlet for a heating medium and an upper outlet for the spent heating medium and constructed to form a succession of constrictions and enlargements which alternate and are arranged in a vertical row, the several constrictions communicating with each other internally,

- and the upper outer side of each enlargement forming a horizontal shelf of heat conducting material adapted to support the material to be distilled and each enlargement being hollow and conducting heat to the shelf on the upper surface of the same for distilling the material thereon, the interior of said constrictions and enlargements being unob-- structcd, means for supplying the material to be distilled to the uppermost shelf, an imperforateshell arranged between said heating chamber and said casing for preventing the ases evolved from the material in theheating chamber from contacting with the casing and condensing thereon, and movable means for propelling said material in a c'ircular course around each shelf, each of the enlargements being provided with a vertical passagev through which the material drops.

ing casing having a gas outlet, a hollow stationary heating chamber arranged within the encloslng casing and having a lower inlet for the heating medium and an upper outlet for the spent heating. medium and constructed to form a succession of constrictionsand enlargements which alternate and are arranged in a vertical row, the several constrictions communicating with each other internally and the upper outer side of each enlargement forming a horizontal shelf of heat conducting material adapted to support the material to be distilled and each enlargement being hollow and conducting heat to the shelf on the upper surface of the same for dis tilling the materi l thereon, means for supplying the material to be distilled to the uppermost shelf, the interiorof said constrictions and enlargements being unobstructed, movable means for propelling said material in a circular course around each shelf and comprising an upright imperforate shell ro tatably arranged between said casing and said heating chamber and preventing conand means for rotating said imperforate shell.

5. A retort for distilling oil from shale andthe like comprising a stationary enclosing casing having a gas outlet, a hollow stationary heating chamber arranged within the enclosing casing and having a lower inlet for the heating medium and an upper outlet for the spent heating medium and constructed to form a succession of constrictions and enlargements which alternate and are arranged in a vertical row, the several constrictions communicating with. each other internally and the upper outer side of each enlargement forming a horizontal shelf of heat conducting material adapted to support the material to be distilled and each enlargement being hollow and conducting heat to the shelf on the upper surface of the same for distilling the material thereon, means for supplying the material to be treated to the uppermost shelf, the interior of said constriction and enlargements being unobstructed, movable means for propelling said material. in a circularcourse 7 around each shelf and comprising an upright imperforate shell rotatably arranged between said casing and said heating chamber and preventing contact of the evolved gases with said casing and condensing thereon and provided with a plurality of inwardly projecting scraper blades which extend over the shelves of the several enlargements, each of the enlargements being provided with a vertical passage through which the material drops from its shelf to the next'lower shelf, and means for supplying steam at the lower end of the space bet-ween the heating chamber and the shell for removing the evolved gases upwardly through this space and discharge them through the gas outlet of the casing.

' 6. A retort for distilling oil from shale and the like comprising an enclosing casing having an upper gas outlet, a heating chamber arranged within the casing and having surfaces for supporting the material to be distilled, said heating chamber including a plurality of heated spaced clrcumferential shelves formed on the heating chamber, an imperforate shell arranged between said chamber and casing and rotatable about a vertical axis and'confining the heat to said material, and reventing contact of the evolved gases with said casing and condensing thereon, a plurality of scraper blades mounted on said shell and movable circumferentiall over the supporting surfaces of said heating chamber, whereby the gas in said material is liberated and left free to escape through said outlet, and means for rotating said shell.

7. A retort for distilling oil from shaleand the like comprising an enclosing casing having an upper gas outlet, a heating chamber arranged within the casing and having surfaces for supporting the material to be distilled, an im'perforate shell arranged between said chamber and casing and rotatable about a vertical axis and confining the heat to said material, and preventing. contact of the evolved gases with said casing and condensing thereon, a plurality of scraper blades mounted on said shell and movable circum- 'ferentially over the supporting surfaces of said heating chamber, and means-for rotating said shell consisting of a worm rim arranged on the exterior of said shell, and a worm shaft extending through said casing and provided within the latter with a worm meshing with said rim whereby the gas in said material is liberated and left free to escape through said outlet.

8. A retort for distilling oil from shale and the like comprising anenclosing casing having an upper gas outlet, a heating chamber arranged within the casing and having surfaces for supporting thematerial to be distilled, an. imperforate shell arranged between said chamber and casing and rotatable about a vertical axis and confining the heat to said material, and preventing contact of the evolved gases with said casing and condensing thereon, a plurality of scraper blades mounted on said shell and movable circumferentially over the supporting surfaces of said heating chamber, roller bearings arranged in the lower part of said casing and supporting the shell at its lower end, whereby the gas in said material is liberated and left free to escape through said outlet, and means for rotating said shell.

' -IVOR. B. NEWBERY. 

